2012 Virtual Marketing Calendar

2012 Virtual Marketing Calendar social media marketing exposure

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If you think that I have missed any special days, please let me know – leave a comment below.

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2012 Virtual Marketing Calendar social media marketing exposure
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10 Ways Funeral Homes Can Use QR Codes

QR Codes are the Quickest Path from Print to the Web

10 Ways Funeral Homes Can Use QR Codes marketing exposure

As I have stated many times… Technology is a tool – it is not the answer – in funeral service – as well as in most service-based, person-to-person industries. QR Codes are no different. They aren’t going to change (or save) the funeral industry, but they are useful tools that you can easily incorporate into your funeral marketing strategy.

That said, you should know how to best use the tools in your funeral marketing toolbox – or else they are just over-hyped and improperly-used clutter that can distract you from your top goals of serving more families and serving all of those families better!

In this article I will identify why and how you should use these black and white, pixilated boxes to help you take a small step closer to those goals.

QR Codes 101 – QR (Quick Response) Codes

QR Codes are barcodes that can be scanned using most smartphones – a QR Code Scanner App would need to be installed (many are available fore free). Once the code is scanned it directs the phone to a website URL, displays a message or opens up a contact (business) card that can be saved to the phone.

Just think of QR Codes as “mobile shortcuts” where a static medium suddenly becomes an interactive one.

Another great thing about using QR Codes is that there is no additional cost to incorporate them in your current and future marketing. Plus you can track the effectiveness of your QR Codes as they can be easily be measured with Google Analytics (wouldn’t you like to know which 50% of your marketing works?).

Here are the 10 Top Ways Funeral Homes can use QR Codes – I have broken them down into 3 categories.

Memorialization:

10 Ways Funeral Homes Can Use QR Codes marketing exposure 1. Online Obituaries

  • Have the QR code for the online obit visible on that page.
  • Use this wording to educate visitors what the QR Code is for:  “QR Code for this Obituary: Use your Smartphone to scan the QR Code to access and save this page to your phone.”
  • Example: http://www.mayfieldkiserfuneralhome.com/obits/dalton-grisham/

2. Memorial Folder

  • Use the QR Code for the deceased’s online obit and add the image to the printed memorial folder that will take the person to the online obit where they can read the obit, leave a condolence or even watch the video tribute.
  • This can be placed on the back of the folder (or somewhere else) discreetly yet still large enough that the code isn’t blurred.  At 150 DPI printing, a 1-inch by 1-inch QR code should still be legible.

User Convenience:

10 Ways Funeral Homes Can Use QR Codes marketing exposure 3. Directions to Funeral Home / Cemetery

  • Have the QR Code on the Directions page of your website but it should take the visitor to your Google Places (Maps) listing so that they get the directions right on their phone and they can then use their built-in GPS / Map to find where your firm is located.
  • Example: http://www.eganfuneralhome.com/bolton/bolton-directions/

4. Directions to Reception or Cemetery

  • This is similar to the one above – linking the QR Code to the Google Places listing – but in this instance the QR Code can be printed on the memorial folders or on a map / directions sheet to be handed out after the service.

5. Request a Review  (Testimonial) from Client Family on Google Places

  • This is a two-fold, stealth strategy to target the most-likely people to leave a Review on your Google Places page (or Yelp or Foursquare).
  • If you provide Client Families with a post-service survey or meet with them in an After Care arrangement, hand them the survey or a sheet that subtly asks them to provide a review.
  • People with smartphones are probably more adapt to leaving reviews online and by using a QR Code, you are making it easier for them to do so.

Advertising:

6. Direct Mail (Especially for Preneed Seminar Registration)

  • For anything that you have a registration form for such as a Preneed / Estate Planning Seminar, a Clergy Breakfast or even your Holiday Memorial Service, you can include a QR Code to the right of the form so that it can be scanned and the attendee can immediately register on your website via their phone.
  • No handwriting out the form, no stuffing envelopes, and no recording the registration manually on your end once it is received.

7. Business Cards

  • The receiver of the business card can quickly scan the card and have all the details added to their phone. I would recommend that for funeral homes and cemeteries, the QR Code be placed on the back of the card as probably only 10% of the people that you give it to would know what to do with it.
  • Example: This is my new business card and I have mine on the front as the majority of my target market is tech savvy like yourself…

10 Ways Funeral Homes Can Use QR Codes marketing exposure 8. Yellow Pages

  • A QR Code in ad can direct a person to a landing page created specifically for who are shopping for funeral homes.
  • Have a short video with additional info that educates them on what makes you different than your competitors.
  • You can showcase your technology offerings more on this page as you know the visitors are going to more tech savvy than most.

9. Print Ads

  • Whether it’s newspaper ads, ads in church bulletins, or ads in a community program, you can use QR Codes to drive people to a specific webpage.
  • As stated above, make sure that the landing page is relevant to the audience seeing the ad and that it is mobile friendly.  If you advertised in a church bulletin for a Baptist Church, you would want to make sure that the landing page was speaking directly to people of that denomination.
  • Also, you wouldn’t want to send them to a pre-planning page with 50 fields on it that would be way more difficult to fill out on a smart phone than it would be to complete on a regular computer.

10 Ways Funeral Homes Can Use QR Codes marketing exposure 10. Email Signature

  • Similar to the business card QR Code, you can direct people to a listing of your contact information or fill out a simple newsletter subscription form.
  • This is my email signature…

NOTE: QR Codes Are Not For Headstones! Technology moves fast and granite is forever. Who knows what types are codes will be used in 5 or 10 years, but that memorial will last a lifetime.  If over time, the QR code on a headstone is ever damaged or if the QR Code Generator goes out of business, not only is the code then useless, but it will be useless forever (and even a couple of days longer).

QR Code Best Practices

Landing Pages must have a purpose and be Mobile Friendly:

  • Don’t send people to just to your Home Page, engage them with a page that relates to origin of where the Code was found.
  • Also, make sure that the page can be easily read on a smartphone – you ‘ve got their interest because they’ve scanned the code – don’t tick them off once they arrive to the destination.

Test Your QR Codes:

  • Once you have created your QR Code, test it. Test it on the computer screen,. Print it off and test it. Test with an iPhone, Blackberry and Android – even multiple apps on the same phone – ESPECIALLY if you are using the QR Code in Print Media!

Have multiple ways to access the Destination Page

  • Include other ways to access the destination page like including a (short) URL beneath the code
  • If the code is online, make it “clickable” for those who don’t have a smartphone handy so they can access the page with a click of the mouse

Include Instructions on how to use the QR Code

  • Don’t assume that everyone knows how to use QR Codes, let alone what they even are.

Please remember that QR Codes are NOT game-changers, but they can help accent the services and advertising that you are currently doing.

How to Create QR Codes

There are many free services available to generate QR Codes like Kaywa , QuikQR.com and http://in4.ca (which I own), but I am a big believer in not relying too much on other people’s proprietary systems, so that is why I recommend using Google’s manual method of creating QR Codes (the unfortunate reality is that Google will probably last longer in the future than FuneralFuturist – “say it isn’t so”).

Here is how to instantly create a QR Code:

1. Go to this URL: https://chart.googleapis.com/chart?chs=150×150&cht=qr&chl=

2. Append the URL that you want the QR code for immediately after the “=” and make sure to use the http://

3. After inserting the URL, hit ENTER and the QR Code will update on the page.

  • Then right-click over the image and “Save As” or “Save Image As” and then download the PNG file to your computer.
  • I suggest renaming the image filename immediately or else you will have a bunch of files on your computer named: chart.png.

4. Your image is ready to add to your print ads or on to your funeral home website pages

If you want a more automated method, go watch these videos where I demonstrate a couple of ways that they can be created.

There are other uses for QR Codes outside of Funeral Service but I have elected not to sway from the subject of how you can use them for your funeral home or cemetery.  If you have been using QR Codes in other ways (or even similar ways), please share your thoughts, results and feedback below.

…Hepp

Creating Your Virtual Marketing Platform

This is the presentation that I made at Social Media Camp Victoria, 2011 called Creating Your Virtual Marketing Platform. This was given to non-funeral people although I made sure that I maintain the reverence and dignity of the funeral profession.

Video Replay: 39:19 minutes

PowerPoint Presentation via SlideShare

I am stoked to be presenting again at the Social Media Camp in Victoria on Saturday, June 4, 2011 at 11 am.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/robinheppell
Linkedin: http://ca.linkedin.com/in/heppell (robin@funeralfuturist.com)
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/funeralfuturist
Twitter: http://twitter.com/funeralfuturist
Slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/funeralfuturist

The Easy Way to Be the Funeral Expert in Your Market

In this video, I show you how to efficiently gather and share information so that you can be seen as the funeral expert in your market.

Part 1 9:25 mins.

Part 2 10:01 mins.

Sites referenced in this video:

Please leave a comment or suggestion below.

…Hepp

How to get Higher Rankings in Google Maps (Google Places)

Learn 5 Fast steps on how to increase your Google Maps (now Google Places) listing.

Hepp’s Done For You Package!

Order your Google Places Optimization Package TODAY for only $497 and also receive Your Funeral Home Web Market Analysis 10 page report ($497 value) absolutely FREE – but you need to order today.

DOUBLE GUARANTEE: We will optimize your Google Places listing within 2 Business Days and I guarantee that your rankings will improve in the Google Listings or I will give you 100% of your money back.

U.S. Funeral Home Managers – click here

How to get Higher Rankings in Google Maps (Google Places) videos google exposure

Canadian Funeral Home Managers – click here

How to get Higher Rankings in Google Maps (Google Places) videos google exposure

Video: Secure Your Vanity URL for Facebook

If you are on Facebook, you should do this now! This 2:29 video shows you how to claim your Vanity URL for your Facebook page.

Video: Facebook Ads – Tips & Resources

Here is a 9:35 minute video about how you can use Facebook Ads to “Narrow-Cast” – opposite of Broadcast – to connect with specific markets.  Just to let you know, if you are interested getting more training about Facebook Ads at the end of the video I recommend that you register for Ryan Deiss’ Facebook Ad Power program.  Even if you don’t register for his program, you will get some great gems from both my video and his.

www.FuneralFuturist.com/Facebook-Ad-Power

Disclosure: If you register for Ryan’s program through the link above, I will receive a referral fee – but also you will receive free admission to my Funeral Facebook Ads Workshop in March.

Still have questions about Facebook Ads?

Let me know if you have any questions about Facebook Ads, please email them to me at robin@funeralfuturist.com OR leave a comment below…

Thanks.

…Hepp

John Callaghan: 2010 Strategic Marketing Plan

JUST RELEASED! John Callaghan’s 2010 Edition of his Strategic Marketing Plan

You’ve heard of John Callaghan, haven’t you?

To refresh your memory, he’s one of the industry’s top speakers on funeral home marketing.

In his book, “Strategic Marketing Plan for Funeral Service Professionals” he reveals how funeral homes should market in during tough economic times.

Why am I telling you this?

Recently I convinced John to allow me to grill him during a LIVE 120-minute teleseminar!

It actually went for 2 1/2 hours.

We talked for just over an hour about his book and then we tackled dozens of questions that the attendees submitted.

You can read a partial list of questions below.

Now you can get the Book, Transcripts of the Interview, and the Recordings INSTANTLY – in download format!

John Callaghan: 2010 Strategic Marketing Plan marketing market share google exposure business strategy

89 Pages of Funeral-Specific Marketing Advice

and over 2.5 hours of recordings

(delivered immediately after you purchase below)

$147.00 Now Only $97

Save $50.00

John Callaghan: 2010 Strategic Marketing Plan marketing market share google exposure business strategy



Still Undecided? Have a Free Sample…

Here is the First Chapter of the Book

Click Here for the PDF Sample

Here is a sample of the Interview

$147.00 Now Only $97

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John Callaghan: 2010 Strategic Marketing Plan marketing market share google exposure business strategy

  • Partial List of Questions that are answered on the Recordings

    • Could you discuss the use of tasteful humor in funeral home marketing?
    • Telephones, yellow page ads – How do you set yourself apart?
    • How do I market my firm against the “low price firm” in the market place?
    • What are your thoughts on marketing during tough economic times? Is it actually a time when you can get more bang for your buck, attract a wider audience etc?
    • How do we use permission marketing in funeral service, especially with the increasing use of online guest books and internet communications with our customers?
    • With a downtown location and smaller parking area, how do you compete with funeral home not downtown and more parking area?
    • What is the most effective advertising in a small rural community? Should we sponsoring and attending community events, sponsor information seminars, weekly newspaper ads, local magazines etc?
    • Are there new words in the death care language that are more acceptable to the public?
    • What kind of ad and or marketing should a funeral home do in response to a cremation society’s direct mailing piece that they continue to do in our community?
    • When asked why our funeral home was chosen, my family follow up surveys reflect that I receive 0 calls from advertising. How should I interpret this?
    • How do you get the message out to Hospice that there are many more options for a family other than direct cremation?
    • What would the best way to market a second location in the next city with two corporate competitors presently operate there?
    • How do you determine what are the most effective strategies?
    • When conducting market research in my area, what are some good sources for Secondary data or information regarding the opinions and buying preferences of ANY of my target markets?
    • I’m in a small market. How do I attract more calls, when it appears, my competitor has more money for unlimited advertising?
    • How can I get people out of the mindset that cremation means no viewing?
    • I’m losing market share to a new funeral home, How can I combat an upstate with a better location?
    • If we have a web site, what are the best strategies to make certain that someone using a search engine, such as Google, will see our listing at the top of the results list? Are there other techniques that can be used in addition to the “keywords” that are embedded into the pages of the site?
    • What is the best way to counteract, “I want the cheapest funeral?
    • I am an independent operated firm in my town with two other firms who are corporate run, what can I do in ads to beat them as competitors?
    • What medium is the best advertising in a conservative area?

Funeral Home Advertising Contest

Funeral Home Advertising Contest social media marketing google exposure I get a lot of questions from funeral home owners about how they should advertise their funeral homes. The main reason why these questions come my way is that they are dissatisfied with the results they get from their current advertising. Most of the time the reason why they are not getting the results that they want is that they are advertising like they are a huge, national company (because those are the ads that we see everyday).

Nike estimates that it has spent $ 1 Billion on creating its brand. When small businesses like small to medium sized, family-owned funeral homes advertise – who don’t have a Nike-sized marketing budget – it is better for you to focus on building and nurturing relationships, than to try to build an inanimate brand.

When someone dies, the family is going to think of people who can help them – not just a logo.

Since marketing companies in Funeral Service generally help large funeral homes “brand” their businesses, there is a lack of information and advice on what is the best way for smaller funeral homes (500 calls and under) to market their businesses. Because of this, in 2010 I am going to help these small to medium sized, family-owned funeral homes market their businesses in the most effective way possible.

To do this, I am going to use real examples from funeral homes and identify the good points and also make suggestions on how the marketing can be improved.  This is where the contest comes in…

Funeral Home Advertising Contest social media marketing google exposure I will be giving away:

  • 1 of 10 copies of Bill Glazer’s best selling book “OUTRAGEOUS Advertising”
  • 2 tickets to Bill Glazer’s Outrageous Academy & Workshop event in Orlando in January (See Details Below)
  • Bonus: For the 1st 30 entries, you will receive a free, 30 minute, private, one-on-one consultation with me to discuss any funeral-related topic you choose.

To Enter the Funeral Home Advertising Contest, submit 1 advertising example from each of the following categories:

  • Yellow page ad (scanned and added as an attachment)
  • Print ad – from church bulletin or newspaper (scanned and added as an attachment)
  • Website (include your URL to your funeral home’s website)
  • Optional: Other online advertising – Facebook Fan Page Facebook ad, Google Adwords PPC ad, banner ad for online newspaper (please scan or recreate if PPC of Facebook ad and then add as an attachment)

ENTER FUNERAL HOME ADVERTISING CONTEST HERE
(if email link doesn’t work, email your submission to robin@funeralfuturist.com with the subject: Funeral Home Advertising Contest)

Conditions: This contest is eligible for family-owned funeral homes only. By submitting your advertising samples you are giving me permission to use them in my upcoming courses and training materials. Prize winners will be selected randomly. The submission deadline is December 24, 2009.  Submissions received after the 24th will not be eligible for prizes. This contest is void where prohibited by law. The winner of the 2 tickets to the OUTRAGEOUS Academy & Workshop is responsible for their own travel, lodging, and other expenses.

“The OUTRAGEOUS Academy & Workshop” – January 15-17, 2010 – Orlando, FL

  • BILL GLAZER teaching a FULL DAY OUTRAGEOUS Workshop
  • BOB PARSONS (from Go Daddy) showing his OUTRAGEOUS TV Ads that made Go Daddy the #1 domain register worldwide
  • YANIK SILVER “How To Create an OUTRAGEOUSLY, Ridiculous Advantage in Your Market Place to Truly Dominate Your Customers Wallets and Mindshare “
  • DR. GREG NIELSEN “The Reclusive ‘Backwoods Doctor’ Shares His Most OUTRAGEOUS Marketing Secrets Regardless Of The Business Your In”
  • PAUL HARTUNIAN “OUTRAGEOUS Publicity = OUTRAGEOUS Sales = An OUTRAGEOUS Life “
  • SCOTT STRATTEN “OUTRAGEOUS Viral Marketing”
  • MIKE CAPUZZI “OUTRAGEOUS Copywriting Cosmetics for OUTRAGEOUSLY Profitable Response”
  • Special Guest Appearance: DAN KENNEDY presenting “The 10 Most OUTRAGEOUS Marketing Strategies I’ve Ever Used”

Get Your 2010 Virtual Marketing Plan

I will be presenting at the Kates-Boylston’s 4th Annual Funeral Service Business Plan Conference being held Nov. 19-20 in Clearwater Beach, Fla.

Here is a 15:53 minute video where I pull back the curtain and show you my planning and brainstorming process when I create a presentation. This video also details what you will learn during my presentation.

If you haven’t heard of the “Business Plan” conference it is guaranteed to boost your operating profit. Along with the other speakers, I intend on helping you develop a strategic plan that’s actionable, concise and achievable. You’ll come with ideas, and leave with a plan.

Along with all the learning, there will also be plenty of time for networking and fun. On Nov. 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. (just after you’ve checked in and had a bit of time to unwind), you’ll enjoy a tour of one of Anderson-McQueen’s locations – Bill and John are leaders in innovation (and implementation) is funeral service. While there, you’ll enjoy light refreshments and time with fellow attendees. There will also be cocktail hours along with breakfasts and lunches. This is one event you won’t want to miss.

Use the order form below to register, and if you tell them “Hepp says $50 off” then you will receive $50 off of the registration fee. I hope to see you Florida!

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